Just A Kiss Goodnight
by Veritas Sanguinus
Summary: Okay guys, due to restrictions which I probably glazed over when I was reading them, I uploaded this without the lyrics. People left comments telling me to do it rather than just doing the right thing and reporting me for it. So eat your heart out people.


She sat out on the grass, breathing in the cool night air and watching the stars in the dim quiet. He came up, standing off to her left and watching her, a thin eyebrow raised in slight amusement. She patted the ground next to her, stretching out her legs before pulling them up to her chest. He sat smoothly next to her, glancing over in her direction before following her gaze up to the stars.

"Sorry you had to see that." She said, her eyes still wandering the skies, watching the twinkling stars.

He looked over. "Why are you apologizing to me? I found that quite humorous to tell you the truth. My one question is why you continue to tolerate him. I've seen him act that way with you every time I've been here."

She sighed and shrugged. "I don't know...I keep hoping they'll both change. That they'll both grow up and see things the adult way instead of throwing a fit and stomping a foot when I tell them no."

He snorted softly, raising an eyebrow. "St. Potter grow up...that's a new one. Its disappointing how much like his father he really is."

"Severus..." She stated with amused chagrin.

"I know, I know. He's your friend, no matter how imbecilic he can and will continue to be." He sighed and stretched out on his back, slipping an arm behind his head.

She lay down next to him, resting her head on his elbow and looking at the profile she knew and loved.

"I hate to admit this, but you're right, you know...about him being a bit of an imbecile..." She said quietly, cracking half a smile.

He rolled his eyes, a rusty smile breaking out on his lips before looking her over quietly. "You seem to still be alive, and no apparent harm came to you." He said.

A confused look crossed her features before she cottoned on, smacking his chest lightly. "You're such a prat." She said, smiling at him.

"And this is news how?" He smirked, raising an eyebrow pointedly. He stretched, sliding his right arm under her head completely, bringing the left up behind his own. His right arm draped over her shoulder and down her back and she smiled, sliding closer to him and resting her head on his shoulder.

"I have to confess that I'm glad you were there that night. I don't think I would have survived otherwise." He said quietly, eyes ghosting over the constellations, playing connect-the-dots in his mind.

She raised her head, resting her chin on his shoulder where her head was. "Why do you say that?" She asked, a hand resting on his chest. Her thumb played with the buttons on his frock coat, rubbing over them absentmindedly.

His gaze rested on her. "I stopped fighting. I was going to let the venom take me. I had resigned myself to my fate. I knew there was no way I was going to save myself at that point, and after giving Potter my memories I was completely drained. All it took was him saying your name and I knew that if you did something, anything really, that I could keep fighting."

She watched him, holding his gaze. "I thought we lost you there for a moment. I thought I hadn't done enough, and when you stopped breathing I thought I failed you. All my knowledge wasn't enough to save you. I didn't know grabbing your hand would get you to come back. I don't even think it registered that you'd started breathing again, it took you squeezing my hand for me to figure it out."

He rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow, looking down at her. "You did lose me. I felt myself slipping away and almost stopped breathing completely. I didn't think I had another breath in me and then you took my hand. It pulled me right back." He reached up, brushing her hair out of her eyes and rubbing the back of a finger down her cheek. "You pulled me back, Hermione. You kept me alive. I didn't understand why, why it was you, why it was happening, why I couldn't just let go, but it was you that kept me going after that."

She smiled softly, leaning into his finger and closing her eyes. "I couldn't just let you go, Severus, even then you meant too much to me. Yes, you had been my teacher, and the only teacher who actively challenged me at that. But I felt like I knew you, like I had something in common with you. And then after I found out you were a spy for us, I knew you were strong, and brave, and after you would come back from those meetings all I wanted to do was take you away from it all." She said, cupping his cheek and rubbing her thumb along his cheekbone and jaw. "I was afraid to face the day when you'd leave, and then I'd spend the whole day afraid that the day before was the last I'd see you alive. I think I even loved you then." She said, smiling tenderly at him and cupping both cheeks before sitting up slightly and kissing his cheek.

He closed his eyes, resting his forehead against hers and resting a hand against the side of her arm, his thumb stroking a gentle rhythm against her skin.

She nudged him down to his side, slipping closer to him and watching his expressions. He was partially cloaked in shadows, and the pale moonlight accentuated the harsh lines of his face, making his features sharper than they actually were. She leaned in, kissing his lips gently, feeling him respond to her and smiled against his lips, giving him another soft kiss before pulling back and watching him, her fingers trailing along the buttons lining the middle of his chest.

He pulled her closer, pressing her up against him, his hand ghosting over her side and back, his black eyes closed and his forehead resting against hers. Soft kisses and caresses were as far as it went.

Neither wanted to take things too far, both knowing they wanted the moments they had to last, and to do things without regret like both had done so many times before.

He thought he had loved Lily, that she had been the only woman for him. No other woman after her had seemed attractive to him. And then Hermione slipped in and saved his life, stood between himself and Death and refused to let him go. And he immediately knew that what he had felt for Lily had been infatuation. He now knew what it was to love, and be loved in return, to know that no matter what happened Hermione would always love him. Now he knew what real love was, what it felt like to give everything to someone and expect nothing in return and get everything she was instead of nothing but hollow feelings and cold glances.

With another soft kiss to her lips, he knew everything he ever needed was right there in his arms. He didn't want to take things too far with her and risk hurting her, so he would happily settle for just her kisses. Although he would never admit sounding like a sap.

She could lay here forever, encased in his strong arms, feeling safe and loved as she breathed in his scent, knowing that after everything they'd been through, that this was real. Nothing ever felt as right as being in Severus' arms, pressed so close to him that no light would get between them, her head resting either on his shoulder or over his heart depending on how they lay.

She pressed another kiss to his lips, part of her craving more of him but knowing that if they wanted it to work between them they had to be patient.

Her hand on his chest was warm, her touch both soothing and igniting, and he brought a hand up, covering hers and sliding it over his heart, stealing another kiss as he cupped her cheek with his other hand.

He pulled away, wrapping both arms around her waist and pulling her closer to him, hugging her tightly and closing his eyes, wishing he could stay that way with her forever.

Her arms wrapped around his neck, her face buried in his neck and a soft kiss pressed against the bare skin beneath his jaw, right above the scar where Nagini almost stole his life. She pulled back and kissed him softly, just a press of her lips against his and felt his response. "I love you." She whispered against his lips, opening her eyes and looking into his. His response was another kiss. "I love you, too." He replied quietly, his onyx eyes meeting her cinnamon ones, love and hope shining in their dark depths.

With another squeeze he untangled himself from her and got up, offering his hand to her and lacing their fingers. "You need to get home. You have work tomorrow." He said. She nodded, turning and standing on her tip toes to press a kiss to his cheek. "Go in and get your things, I'll _Apparate_ you to your flat tonight." He said.

"Alright." She said, slipping in the back door to the kitchen and gathering her things from the hallway closet. She went and told the others she was leaving, not letting any of them get a reply in because she was still angry about their behavior earlier that evening and came back out, stepping up and wrapping her arms around his neck, feeling him slip his hands beneath her cloak and rest them against her back before _Apparating_ them to her flat.

They landed on her doorstep, and she waved her wand to undo the inner wards before turning to him and slipping her wand back up her sleeve into its holster, taking his hands. "I wish you'd stay." She said, releasing one of his hands to cup his cheek.

"We both know I can't. Not yet. Its too soon." He said, turning his head and kissing her palm.

She sighed and nodded, containing the childish pout that wanted to spread across her lips. "I know. I want this to work, I know how much I love you, and how much you love me. Its just difficult. I don't understand why they're making you go through with a trial when the Wizengamot knows you're innocent." She said.

"The Minister wants to make sure things will be different this time around. I honestly can't blame him, even though I really don't like the man. Hopefully Kingsley ends up being elected as Minister and then we'll have a lot less to worry about." He said, kissing her forehead softly.

"It doesn't make it any less difficult for me, worrying that one of the Undersecretaries may get a wild hair and decide to put you in Azkaban. I couldn't bear the thought of you being locked up in that horrible place, especially after everything you've done for us all." She whispered. She pulled him closer, backing against her door and pulling him down to kiss her, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He kissed her back, keeping the kiss gentle and not allowing it to go any farther despite her best efforts otherwise. He pulled back, cupping her cheeks. "Three more days. I promise. Three days and then I'll happily spend the rest of my life with you. But until then I have to go. And I'll dream of you in the meantime." He whispered, kissing her forehead.

She tightened her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder and whispering her love to him. "No matter what happens, I love you. I promise, Severus. I promise, I love you. I always will."

He held her tightly, kissing her temple and closing his eyes, believing in every word that passed her lips. "I love you, too, Hermione." He said, tilting her chin up with his hand and pressing a kiss to her lips before stepping back and smiling at her. "I love you." He said louder.

"I love you too." She said, closing her eyes and shutting the door after he _Apparated_ away.


End file.
